It’s a Mother of a Tale

Whether we realize it or not (and whether we’re willing to admit it or not) our mothers have a strong influence on our lives – be it good, bad, or otherwise. While giving birth technically makes a person a parent, it takes more than that to make a person a mother. A mother is someone who makes us feel comforted and safe, who we can turn to for anything, and who strives to always make us feel loved and accepted. In my mother’s case, she happens to be all of the above.

Welcome to the Family

When my siblings and I were growing up, our mom was a constant presence in our lives. Her attendance at concerts, sporting events, and school happenings was a given; she never hesitated to volunteer for things we were involved in; and she was happy to support us in each of our endeavors. She was (and still is) always generous, kind, and caring.

Looking back over the years, I’m amazed at just how giving our mom has always been. The amount of times she put her children first and ignored her own desires is simply astounding. I’m reminded of the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie is describing how his mother hasn’t had a hot meal in years because she’s too busy making sure everyone else is taken care of. This is my mother in a nutshell. She wants to make sure everyone else is comfortable and content before she’ll give any thought to her own comfort and contentment.

As we’ve gotten older, she has continued to be supportive and encouraging. While we may have had our ups and downs, she has always tried to do what she believes is best for us. Regardless of the outcome, her intentions are pure and come from a place of love. It’s not always easy to remember this in the moment, but it becomes clear as time goes on.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

One of my mother’s greatest attributes is her sense of humor. You know how people refer to lame jokes as dad jokes? They’re the type of jokes that make you roll your eyes, but they also make you laugh even though you wish they didn’t. Well, in my family, my mom is the one who makes those jokes. She’s well-known for her puns and silly hi-jinks. So much so, that my sister and I have begun to refer to them as momisms.

A classic example of my mother’s hi-jinks can be witnessed at the dinner table. Imagine the following scenario:

You’ve filled your plate with food and set it down at the table. You then realize you’ve forgotten a napkin, so you wander back to the kitchen to retrieve one. Upon returning to the table, you notice that your plate isn’t sitting where you left it. You look around for it briefly before beginning to question whether you actually set it there or not. Just when you’re about to get a fresh plate (because you’re no longer sure you even had one to begin with), you notice your mother smirking and giggling behind her hand. Though she’ll deny it, you now know that she’s hidden it somewhere.

My mom has pulled this one on us often enough that it rarely gets us anymore. Yet, even though she knows it won’t work, she insists on doing it fairly often. In fact, she just did it to my sister yesterday morning. Despite how predictable this joke has become, however, it highlights another of my mother’s finest attributes – her inner child.

Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder

Some children grow up and become boring, unhappy adults. My mother is not one of those people. I may not have appreciated it when I was younger, but my mom knows how to have a good time. No, not in the “go out to the club and get crazy” sense, but rather in the “go to amusement parks, jump in the cold lake, stay forever young” sense. She was always more than willing to participate in whatever ridiculous scheme we came up with.

My mother’s inner child comes out often enough, but it did so consistently during our MEA weekends. For those of you who aren’t native Minnesotans, MEA is an educational conference that takes place in October. More importantly, it meant two days off school and a thrilling four-day weekend. In my family, it was an excuse for a bunch of us to get together and do fun fall-related activities.

My mother, along with a few of my aunts, thrived on this weekend. They would set up scavenger hunts for us, wait behind closed doors in the house so we could trick-or-treat, and play along with our attempts at haunted houses. They would also come up with fun games for us to play and craft incredibly creative meals. My mother and my aunts made these weekends magical and unforgettable.

Thank You, Dear Mother

I’ve only touched on a few of the qualities my mom possesses, but if I were to cover them all, this post would be far too long. While there is so much more to say, all that really needs to be said is how grateful I am. My mother and I haven’t always gotten along, but at the end of the day, I know we will always love each other.

Thank you to my darling sister for helping me compile this.

Thank you, mom, for all you have done for us over the years. We love you, and we hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day.

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